Can top remover



May 2a, 1935. u. H. MULI '..'AN 2,002,906

CAN TOP REMCSVER Filed March 20, 1934 I [NI/EN T02.

32' 1 ll 36 7 I F G when. as, I 2,002,906

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE omrzrmovzn t I .513: $522311? fifth scum. (our-a1 My present invention relates to a can top rehandle member ll there is an elongated slot mover having adjustable cooperating jaws which l2, into which a. grip member I! is pivotally engage and operate upon can tops of the screw mounted by means of a rivet or bolt M. The threaded type, and more particularly to an imgrip member I! is adapted to be pivoted toward 6 movement in a device of this character which and away from the handle member Ill. At its will automatically adjust and secure, the jaws inner end the grip member I! has a serrated jaw in cooperating relation upon can tops of difier- I! which is adapted to c perate with the can cut diameters. top engaging jaw II when it is pivoted toward An object of my invention is to provide in a the handlemember ll., Disposed adjacent the can top remover, of the type having a fixed jawrivet or bolt I4 and carried by the grip m and a pivotally mounted adjustable jaw, means her I I, there is a raised wedge forming or cam which will secure the adjustable jaw in proper surface l5 which is adapted to engage the underspaced relation'with the fixed jaw when the adside of the handle member ID. The raised justable jaw is moved into an operative posiwedge forming or cam surface l6 cooperates with tion against a can top. v the rivet II, as will hereinafter appear, to secure 15 Another objector my invention istoprovidein the serrated jaws II and I! in proper spaced a can top remover, having a fixed jaw member and cooperating relation when the grip member and a pivotally mounted jaw member, means I3 is pivoted toward the handle member III.

which will secure the pivotally mounted jaw This raised wedge forming or cam surface I6 memberinproper spaced relation with the fixed can be formed upon the grip member l3 by 20 jaw member when the jaws upon said members simply upsetting the surface thereof, as shown are moved into operative engagement with a can in Figure 2 of the drawing, r i m y be p top, rate piece of metal secured thereupon.

A further object of my invention is to provide In this embodiment of my invention, it will a wrench like can top remover having opposed be s n that wh n the grip m m r [3 is v d 25 jaws which will automatically adjust themselves outwardly, the rivet ll will be free to move to can tops of different diameters when placed longitudinally along the slot I 2 and in this way in engagement therewith. the jaws II and I! can be moved into cooperat- With the above and other objects in view, my ing relation against the opposite sides of a can 0 invention resides in the construction combinatop of any size. Such a can top, designated by tion and arrangement of parts substantially as the numeral I1, is illustrated in the drawing by will be-hereinafter described and more particudot and dash lines. After the jaws l I and i5 larly defined by the appended claims. have been thus moved into engagement with the For a better understanding of my invention top I I the operator can, by squeezing the handle reference should be had to the accompanying member Ill and the grip member l3 together, 5

drawing wherein there are shown, by way of ilcause the jaws H and ii to grip the can top. lustration and not of limitation, preferredem- This squeezing upon the grip member-l3 will bodiments thereof. move the raised wedge forming or cam surface In the ,drawing: l8, carried thereby, into engagement with the 40 Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a simunderside of the handle member ID and, because 40 plified form of my invention, of its wedging action, it will tighten the head Figure 2 is a view looking down upon the deof the rivet l4 against the top of the handle vice illustrated inFigure 1, member ID and prevent a longitudinal move- Figure 3 is a bottom view of a modfied form of ment of the rivet 14 along the slot l2. During my invention, the final movement of the grip member I! the 5 Figure 4 is a view looking up at the embodijaw l5-will be forced into clamping engagement ,ment illustrated in Figure 3, with the can top H, so that when a counter- Figure 5 is a further modification of my inclockwise movement is imparted to the handle vention, and member 10 the can top will be turned oflf the Figure 6 is a view looking up at the embodican upon which it is mounted. A reverse move- 50 ment illustrated in Figure 5 with parts broken ment of the handle member Ill can be employed away to disclose its construction. I to tighten the can top upon its associated can. In Figures land 2 of the drawing, I0 is a InFigures 3 and4 of the drawing, which show handle member having a serrated can top ena modified form of my invention, the numeral gaging jaw ll. Extending longitudinally of the i8 designates a handle member to which there 55 is pivotally attached a grip member l3. The handle member II has a serrated can top engaging jaw 20 and the grip member l9 has a cooperating and serrated cantop engaging jaw 2|. The grip member I9 is pivotally secured to the handle member I3 by means of a pivot forming bolt 22 which extends through a longitudinally disposed slot 23 formed in the handle member l3. Cooperating with the bolt 22 and disposed respectively against the top and bottom of the handle member l3, there are washers 24 and 25 which engage the sides of the handle member l3 adjacent the slot 23. The washer 24 is provided with oppositely disposed cam surfaces 26 with which similar cam surfaces 21, carried by the grip member l9, cooperate when the grip member 19 is turned about the pivot forming bolt 22. In addition to the cam surfaces 26, the washer 24 also has oppositely disposed extensions 23 which project into the slot 23 to prevent a turning thereof.

when the can top remover is constructed in accordance with this embodiment of my invention, the cam surfaces 26 upon the washer 24 and the cam surfaces 21 upon the grip member l9 will move the washers 24 and 25 into clamping engagement with the handle member l8 and thus prevent a longitudinal movement of the pivot forming bolt 22 in the slot 23. When the washers 24 and 25 have been brought into clamping engagement with the handle member l8, a further movement of the grip member l9 will cause the serrated jaw 2|, carried thereby, to move into clamping engagement with the can top (not shown) so that the top can be turned in either direction to tighten it upon or remove it from a can.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing, which show a further embodiment of my invention, the numeral 29 designates a handle member having a. grip member 39 thereupon. The grip member 30 is pivotally attached to the handle member 29 by means of a securing bolt 3| which has a screw threaded extension 32. The bolt 3| has an elongated boss 33 that is adapted to slide freely in a slot 34, formed in the handle member 29, and the threads upon the threaded extension 32 are of such a pitch that the grip, member 30 will move against a spacing washer 35 and clamp the bolt 3| in the slot 34 when the grip member 30 is squeezed in the hand of an operator. The handle member 29 has a serrated can top engaging jaw 36 and the grip member 30 has a cooperating and-serrated can top engaging jaw 31. When the can top remover is constructed in accordance with this embodiment of my invention, the head of the bolt 3| will be tightened against the handle member 29, adjacent the slot 34, and thus a longitudinal movement of the pivot forming screw threaded extension 32, in the slot 34, will be prevented. If the'jaws 36 and 31 are placed in contact with a screw type can top, they can then be urged into tight clamping engagement therewith by squeezing the handle member 29 and the grip member 30 together. Under these conditions the grip member 3|! will function as a nut upon the threaded extension 32 to tighten the head of the bolt 3| and the washer 35 against the sides of the handle member 29.

Top removers, constructed in accordance with the above disclosures, can/be used to remove and/or tighten can tops of varying diameters, depending upon the length of the longitudinal slot provided in the handle forming member, and will be found particularly suitable for use in connection with screw caps, such as are commonly provided upon the so,-called Masonjars. In addition to the can top removing features described above, the device may also be equipped, where desired, with a crown cap removing hook 38.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific devices and arrangements, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art; It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it as such so that all changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a can top wrench, the combination of a jaw member having a handle with a longitudinal slot therein, a grip member having a cooperating jaw member, a securing means passing through the slot in the handle of said jaw member carried by and forming a longitudinally movable pivot for said grip member, and means disposed between said jaw member and said grip member operating between said members with a wedging action to tighten said securing means and prevent a longitudinal movement thereof in said slot when said grip member is moved toward said jaw member handle.

2. In a can top wrench, the combination of a jaw carrying member having a longitudinal slot therein, a grip member having a cooperating jaw member, means passing through the slot in said jaw carrying member and secured to said grip member forming a longitudinally movable pivot point for said grip member, and an.- inclined surface upon said grip member adapted to move between said jaw carrying member and said grip member with a wedging action and secure said means forming the pivot point against movement in said slot when said grip member is moved toward the jaw carrying member.

3. In a can top wrench, the combination of a jaw carrying member having an elongated slot therein, a grip member having a cooperating jaw member, means passing through the slot in said jaw carrying member carried by said grip member and forming a movable pivot for said grip member, and cooperating cam surfaces upon said grip member and said jaw carrying member adapted to tighten said means and secure the pivot against movement upon said jaw carrying member when said grip member is moved toward said jaw carrying member.

4. In a can top wrench, the combination of a jaw carrying member having a longitudinally extending slot therein, a grip member having a cooperating jaw member, means passing through the slot in said jaw carrying member and carried by said grip member forming a longitudinally movable pivot for said grip member, an

enlarged head upon said means forming the longitudinally movable pivot, and a wedge surface upon said grip member adapted to engage said jaw carrying member and cooperate with said enlarged head to secure said pivot against longitudinal movement in said slot when said grip member is rotated upon said pivot by a gripping thereof.

5. In a can top remover, the combination of a jaw carrying member having a longitudinally extending slot therein, a grip member having a cooperating jaw, a pivot member carried by said grip member and extending through the longitudinal slot in said jaw carrying member, said 10 pivot member having an enlarged head overlyv ing the sides of said slot, and means between said grip member and said jaw carrying member operating with a wedging action to draw said enlarged head against said jaw carrying member and prevent movement of said pivot member in said slot when said jaws are brought into engagement with a can top by a gripping force applied to said grip member. 

